You are here

Her Right Foot (Hardcover)

Staff Reviews

The Statue of Liberty is the beacon greeting those who arrive in New York. But what does she truly stand for? Zooming in for a look at her (enormous) right foot reveals a message of acceptance in this moving and inspiring look at the history and meaning of the Statue of Liberty.

Description

"A friendly reminder of how America can be at its best." – Entertainment Weekly

If you had to name a statue, any statue, odds are good you'd mention the Statue of Liberty.

Have you seen her?

She's in New York.She's holding a torch.And she's in mid-stride, moving forward.But why?

In this fascinating and fun take on nonfiction, Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris investigate a seemingly small trait of America's most emblematic statue. What they find is about more than history, more than art. What they find in the Statue of Liberty's right foot is the powerful message of acceptance that is essential of an entire country's creation.

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the YearA School Library Journal Best Picture Book of the YearA 2018 Orbis Pictus Award Honor BookA Junior Library Guild selection

Seven Starred Reviews

"In a time when immigration is a hot-button issue, it's good to be reminded that Lady Liberty continues to lift her lamp beside the golden door." – Booklist, starred review

About the Author

Dave Eggers is the author of many books, including This Bridge Will Not Be Gray, The Circle, and A Hologram for the King. He is the cofounder of: Voice of Witness, an oral-history series focused on human-rights crises; 826 National, a network of writing and tutoring centers; and ScholarMatch, which connects donors and under-resourced students to make college possible.

Shawn Harris is an artist and musician who lives and works in Morongo Valley, California. This is his first book.

Praise For…

"This book makes me happy as a person and jealous as an illustrator." -Jon Klassen, Caldecott Medal Winner

Volunteer State Book Award 2019-20 Nominee

Read On Wisconsin! State Reading List 2018-2019

Honor Book

Chicago Tribune Best Children's Books of the Year

BookPage Best Children's Books of the Year

A Mighty Girl Books of the Year

A Boston Globe Best Children's Book of the Year

'ILA Teachers Choices 2018 Reading List

"You may know that Dave Eggers is a successful writer for adults. And you may know that he has a way with words. But you may not know that he has written a book about the Statue of Liberty and what's more you may be completely unaware that the book is timely and poignant and deeply meaningful and patriotic in the best sense of the word. It is absolutely the best thing I've seen in a long time."--Betsy Bird, School Library Journal's Fuse #8 blog and co-author of Wild Things: Acts of Mischief in Children's Literature

"Witty, moving."-Wall Street Journal

"This amazing book builds to a poignant and timely message about the meaning of the Statue of Liberty."--Imagination Soup

"With immigration a political hot topic, this heartfelt book couldn't have come at a better time."--Bookends: A Booklist Blog

"Unique and important."-School Library Journal, starred review

"Dave Eggers and Shawn Harris investigate a seemingly small trait of America's most emblematic statue... What they find in the Statue of Liberty's right foot is the powerful message of acceptance that is essential of an entire country's creation." --Book Riot

"Cool facts about the Statue of Liberty plus a heart-tugging ending."--Parents Magazine

"Both thought-provoking and a readaloud delight."-Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, starred review

"Beautiful, powerful, funny, moving. Eggers and Harris are in perfect thoughtful harmony."-Inaugural National Ambassador for Young People's Literature, Jon Scieszka

"As enlightening as it is charming."-The New York Times

"An unusual and entertaining way to learn about the Statue of Liberty, and a powerful message of what the statue symbolizes. This is a picture book for all ages."--Grace Lin, author of National Book Award Finalist When the Sea Turned to Silver

"A timely message and a reminder of what the monument represents."--St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"A must-read for every man, woman and child in the land."--The San Francisco Chronicle

"Her Right Foot stands far above other Statue of Liberty books, conveying something particularly important and necessary to the times in which we live."--Betsy Bird, A Fuse#8 Production, a School Library Journal blog

"Her Right Foot appeared at just the right time, serving as a palate cleanser to increasingly caustic headlines around immigration."-NPR Best Books of the Year

"This upbeat, funny, artistically stunning book about the Statue of Liberty couldn't be more timely."--Common Sense Media

"Eggers and Harris achieve something truly remarkable."--BookPage

"Their powerful and timely book shows that Lady Liberty is not just welcoming immigrants and others coming to America, but leading their path." --Real Simple

"The perfect picture book for our times."--Cool Mom Picks

"The careful layering and pacing of this book is chilling. It demands re-reading and sharing with others."--Charlotte News and Observer

"Sure to be beloved by adults and children alike."--Bookish

"Readers needn't be versed in the day's headlines to leave Her Right Foot with an arm in the air, raising not a torch but a fist."--Shelf Awareness, starred review

"Perfect family share." --Charlotte News and Observer

"One part stand-up routine, one part ode to the values that we as a nation have long held dear. Funny, smart, timely, and true."--Leonard S. Marcus, - historian, critic, and author of Randolph Caldecott: The Man Who Could Not Stop Drawing

"Not only shares the history of one of our most famous statues but also reminds us of the need for diversity and inclusion."--Kid Lit Frenzy

"In a time when immigration is a hot-button issue, it's good to be reminded that Lady Liberty continues to lift her lamp beside the golden door."-Booklist, starred review

"In Her Right Foot, novelist Dave Eggers and illustrator Shawn Harris spin a fascinating, engrossing tale out of a seemingly innocuous detail - and in the process, reaffirm a prescient message of inclusion. It's a friendly reminder of how America can be at its best."--Entertainment Weekly

"In Eggers's telling, Liberty is ready not only to greet travelers coming home and those seeking refuge, but to stride forth to welcome them."--The Washington Post

"I want to hold this book in one hand and a torch in the other and stand on an island someplace so everyone can see." -Lemony Snicket